5th August 2020

Following a recent announcement by the government to make available £100 million of public money to English zoos and aquariums as a result of the coronavirus crisis, Freedom for Animals has written to Zac Goldsmith to demand greater transparency within the industry.

The huge sum of money means that many zoos and aquariums are now significantly funded by the taxpayer, yet there remains so much secrecy over what really happens in this industry. The public deserve to know what exactly their money is funding.

In 2018, the BBC uncovered the shocking fact that over a third of marine animals died in the space of a year at Sea Life Great Yarmouth. However, instead of working on how to rectify this appalling statistic, Sea Life centres across the UK decided to implement a cover-up. Now, rather than simply giving the local councils their 'stock lists' every year, the aquariums only allow councils to view the data on their own computer systems, crucially meaning that it is not accessible by the public. This cynical and deliberate hiding of the suffering that goes in these centres is shameful.

For too long have these businesses been allowed to exploit animals in secret. We're demanding that all zoos and aquariums be legally obliged to provide the public with...

- ‘Stock lists' of every individual animal held.

- Cause of deaths of all deceased animals.

- The amount of money spent directly on in situ conservation projects each year.

- The number of animals successfully relocated into the wild each year.

- The list of the conservation status of each species held.

- Rehoming plans in the event of the zoo's closure.

Read our letter below and add your name to speak up for animals!

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